Trolley Problem, Inc.

About

"Trolley Problem, Inc." is a thought-provoking simulation game that presents players with ethical dilemmas in a lighthearted yet challenging way. As the CEO of a trolley company, players must make decisions that will have serious consequences for their passengers. Navigate through various scenarios, balance profit and safety, and ponder the philosophical implications of your choices.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 825 reviews

humor86 positive mentions

monetization6 negative mentions

Thought-provoking and engaging, especially when played with friends.
Cleverly presents moral dilemmas with a humorous and sarcastic narrator.
Offers a unique experience with references to philosophical concepts and encourages introspection.

Choices often feel meaningless as the game berates players regardless of their decisions.
The pacing can be slow, with long wait times for responses and a lack of real branching paths.
Some scenarios feel contrived or overly simplistic, detracting from the depth of the philosophical questions.

humor
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is a mix of dark comedy and philosophical commentary, often delivered through a sarcastic narrator who critiques player choices, which some find entertaining while others see as repetitive or forced. While many players appreciate the cleverness and thought-provoking nature of the humor, some feel it falls flat or becomes tiresome due to a lack of meaningful choice and a tendency to lean too heavily into political commentary. Overall, the game is seen as a humorous exploration of moral dilemmas, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and depth.
- “The humor helps keep things from getting too serious.”
- “It's a great game if you want to think about ridiculous scenarios while laughing about moral philosophy.”
- “Clever and hilarious little game that can spark some meaningful conversations.”
- “And these decisions… they’re supposed to be funny?”
- “Your humor is fake edgy and not funny.”
- “Not funny at all”
story
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
73%
9%
The game's story is criticized for being largely linear and predetermined, despite its claims of offering a branching narrative based on player choices, leading to frustration among players who feel their decisions lack meaningful impact. While some appreciate the humor and philosophical themes woven into the plot, others find the execution inconsistent and the overall narrative lacking coherence. Despite its engaging moments, many reviewers express disappointment that the story does not fully deliver on the promise of player agency.
- “The story is incredibly fun, laced with wit, and often delivers unexpected twists that keep you fully engaged from start to finish.”
- “It started off strong with variations of the trolley problem before becoming more serious, getting a goofy tone for a while, then becoming an extremely effective existential story that really hit me in the feels.”
- “Genuinely really great game based on the trolley problem and other, similar thought experiments, and an actually interesting story.”
- “Finally, it's clear that the game is supposed to have a branching story path based on what you answer, except there's only one path and it's based on the answers that the developers gave.”
- “So yeah, it's hard to enjoy playing a game that calls itself 'choice driven' when the game's storyline contradicts and ignores any of your desperate attempts to make a significant decision.”
- “The story is the same no matter what options you pick.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the clean visuals and unique art style, while others criticize glitches and accessibility issues that hinder gameplay. Although the aesthetics are generally described as pleasant and fitting for the game's themes, there are complaints about distracting effects and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, some players express concern over misleading claims regarding graphic content, which impacts their enjoyment.
- “The game offers some nice graphics and environments; although there are some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same.”
- “It's an extremely smooth, aesthetically pleasing game with a pretty clear point, in my opinion.”
- “The art style fits perfectly with the vibe, and the narration makes you fall in love with the game as well.”
- “The only valid complaint is the lag; it crashes pretty frequently for being such a simple game graphically.”
- “My only real complaint is the graphical glitch style towards the end; it is done deliberately, but I think it goes on too long and causes a little eye strain.”
- “But know that this is not an original game; it is well-known questions dressed in minimalistic graphics.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
69%
12%
The gameplay is primarily centered around answering binary questions related to moral dilemmas, which some players find tedious due to lengthy menus and timers that extend the experience unnecessarily. While the core mechanics are smooth and intuitive, allowing for thoughtful decision-making, many reviewers feel that the lack of meaningful impact from choices diminishes the overall engagement. Despite some clever elements and entertaining voice acting, the gameplay is often criticized for being limited and lacking depth compared to other narrative-driven games.
- “The game's core mechanic revolves around the famous trolley problem, but it takes the concept much further, presenting a series of moral quandaries that are both thought-provoking and surprisingly entertaining.”
- “It allows you to think through your decisions carefully while still maintaining the tension that makes the gameplay so immersive.”
- “With its clever gameplay mechanics and ethical dilemmas, every decision feels impactful and meaningful.”
- “The gameplay format is tedious, with questions taking about a minute from beginning to end with all the menu stuff around them, but the problem is each question really only requires five or ten seconds of thought.”
- “Not much gameplay to speak of; it's just answering binary questions, so I'll just shotgun the rest of my thoughts in a single paragraph.”
- “While it is true that, save for a few exceptions, your answers to the questions do not actually have a major effect on the storyline, I'd like to note that this lack of agency is a very purposeful mechanic of the game.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it engaging and worth revisiting for achievements or social play, many criticize its linearity and limited content, leading to a lack of substantial replay value. The experience is often described as enjoyable but short, with some players feeling that the price does not justify the minimal replay opportunities available.
- “Awesome game, very engaging and has replay value.”
- “A good time with friends and more replay value than you'd think trying to get the achievements.”
- “It's short, but replayable on Twitch, as well as against your family.”
- “No real replay value besides being berated in a different way.”
- “But the biggest downside is the 0 replay value.”
- “There is very little replay value to be found here because of it.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of feelings, from humor and engagement to introspection and discomfort. Players report experiencing deep emotional reactions, including laughter, tears, and reflections on personal biases and past traumas, which contribute to a thought-provoking and sometimes challenging experience. Overall, the game's writing and structure create a tightly woven narrative that leaves players feeling emotionally drained yet fulfilled.
- “That's the emotional stakes!”
- “It's got a message and a way of getting it across that I think is really engaging, sometimes touching, sometimes funny.”
- “It's not long, but it does everything it needs to, resulting in a hugely tight experience which left me slightly emotionally weary in the best way possible.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for its reliance on intrusive advertising, particularly in scenarios where players must choose between selling cars or providing ad-supported free services. Players feel misled by the game's marketing, which suggests meaningful choices, while in reality, these decisions often lead to negative consequences and a lack of genuine impact on gameplay. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to prioritize ad revenue over player experience, creating frustration among users.
- “It's equivalent to advertising a racing game as 'co-op' but you don't get separate cars, just one car that you can drive with controller A or B.”
- “Or if we choose to advertise to customers in our free driverless taxi service instead of selling driverless cars themselves, are we also collecting data about the customers, or are the ads just an annoyance the passenger has to put up with in exchange for the service?”
- “Nowhere is the game advertising that 'your choices matter/change the game'... that's just an assumption that's been drilled into us by a lot of other games with choices in it!”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by several glitches and buggy achievements, which detract from the overall experience. While the graphics and environments are generally appealing, the presence of these technical issues, including unresponsive achievements, raises concerns about the game's reliability. Additionally, gameplay elements related to decision-making are negatively impacted by these glitches, further complicating the player's experience.
- “Also, one achievement is buggy and not awarding it to me.”
- “Two buggy achievements (100% and all items).”
- “A couple of achievements are buggy and don't unlock correctly as they should.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to serious performance problems that detract from the overall experience. While the narrator's performance is praised, the underlying script and optimization are seen as lacking.
- “This game is incredibly poorly optimized.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as the lengthy gameplay format forces them to wait unnecessarily after quickly answering questions. Despite the presence of a hidden fast forward option, the overall experience can feel frustratingly drawn out, leading to a desire for more efficient mechanics.
- “The gameplay format is tedious, with questions taking about a minute from beginning to end, but each question really only requires five or ten seconds of thought.”
- “It can be a bit tedious when you know your answer right off the bat and then have to sit there waiting for the timer to run out, even with the hidden fast forward option.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally well-received, complementing the overall experience effectively. However, some players feel it has the potential to be even better, suggesting that while it contributes positively, there is room for improvement.
- “The music was pretty good and worked well with the rest of the game.”
- “Despite having potential to be far greater, the writing, voice acting, and music are well done and make the game a worthwhile, if short, experience.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of *trolley problem, inc* is characterized by its immersive presentation and tense ambiance, effectively engaging players in the moral dilemmas it presents. Reviewers appreciate the game's unique style and the emotional weight of the choices, enhancing the overall experience.
- “With its presentation and tense atmosphere, 'Trolley Problem, Inc.' helps experience these fascinating conundrums in a creative, immersive way that, when it does its magic, makes you feel the weight of your choices.”
- “I love the game's style and atmosphere, as well as the constant moral struggle.”

74%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

Buy Trolley Problem, Inc.

2h Median play time

5h Average play time

2-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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